Who would you keep ?

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"You're supposed to help people that need a bit."

This thread coincides with the "Who Would You Buy ? " thread. Since pretty much any new buy means someone has to leave, and there is also the need to consider a place for young players coming through the academy or simply develop, in many ways the squad we have and think of using should be the basis of what we need to buy.
I will only list those who might be considered to move.

GK - Karius, Mignolete, Ward, Bogdan. There is also Kamil Grabara who is considered a great talent. Since there is a consensus regarding the need to bring a new GK, who will be the other 2 ?

Defense - Clyne, Flanagan, Conor Randall, Klavan.

Midfield - Can ( pretty much already out the door ), Gini ( yes him ), Grujic, Ejaria, Chirivella, Allan. We have Milner, Ox, Lallana, Hendo, Keita, Fabinho and rumors have it Fekir is coming as well. 7 Players fighting over 3 positions as it is.

Wingers - Wilson, Kent, Ojo and Markovic.

Forwards - Sturridge, Ings, Solanke, Woodburn, Origi and Awoniyi. I think it is clear that none of them is a suitable backup for Firmino, at least not yet.

Although Salah is a great example why it is important to keep players on your roster, and loan them out to gain experience rather than lose patience, I still in general feel that if a young player after 2-3 years out in a smaller club / weaker league hasn't shined, he will most probably never be good enough to play for the club. The same goes for players in the club that are kept on the bench but are not getting any playing time. If the manager doesn't believe in a player to give him an opportunity to play, why keep him ?

I rate Ward, Woodburn, Wilson and Grujic very much and I can see them evolving to be great players for the club. Having said that, keeping them around without giving them the opportunity to play helps no one, and I don't see a lot of minutes for them next season.

FADA

GK - Grabara
CB - Klavan
Midfield - Can, would send Ejaria and Chirivella on loan I think even if numbers appear large Lallana and AOC could cause problems and Can is probably leaving which means Grujic gets to stay (I still think he's a good player I've just cooled off due to him being loaned out).
Wingers -That's a nasty list I liked Kent when I saw him and Ojo but really know too little about them and Wilson.
Forwards - Solanke, Woodburn and Awoniyi (I like his name and that is enough for a youngster for me and we need someone to make up the numbers in training).

Sell:
Mignolet
Ward - not being used so why keep him for no reason?
Bogdan
Flanagan
Sturridge
Markovic
Ings - Sorry, but there should be an upgrade for back up striker
Origi
Chirivella - Doesn't look like he'll break through

Sad guy with no life :(

If there's a new keeper coming in then Karius should be the back up for that keeper and the third choice could be Gabara or someone. Ward is 25 now and if he wants to push on in his career then he should leave because clearly he won't get enough chances at Liverpool based on this season alone.

FADA

If there's a new keeper coming in then Karius should be the back up for that keeper and the third choice could be Gabara or someone. Ward is 25 now and if he wants to push on in his career then he should leave because clearly he won't get enough chances at Liverpool based on this season alone.

Thats what I have been saying since Ward came back from Aberdeen.
I can not agree about Karius though as he's useless. Mignolet is better but if we get a decent goalkeeper why not keep Ward he is the perfect backup and has proved it. He makes no waves and sits where ever he is told to.
I just don't know whether I should laugh or cry over our goalkeeping situation however reading that fans are prepared to keep Karius is disturbing. Even Bogdan would be a surer bet!

Loyalty and patience, two undervalued concepts.

I'd keep all of the first-teamers, in order to have that depth which we have lacked at times this season. Those of the first team who want to go are previsibly Can and Mignolet. Fabinho is already in place, and a new goalkeeper must thus come in, unless Klopp decides that Ward can genuinely compete with Karius for the nr. 1 spot.

Those who must be told to go are those who haven't featured in the first team and would benefit from a move: Bogdan, Flanagan, Markovic, Sturridge (too injury-prone unfortunately).

Question-marks about all younger loaned-out players: Origi, Kent, Oiyo, Chirivella, Allan, Wilson, Grujic, Randall. I assume that Klopp will want to have a close look at them in the pre-season, and then make a decision about their future at the club. Woodburn is another one with huge question marks over him: last season he played his fair share of games for such a young lad, but this season, he hasn't really had a sniff, has he? It will be interesting to see what happens with him. He's undoubtedly a talent.

All in all, we are in a good position. A strong squad which made it to the CL final and will basically stay together for next season, yet to be bolstered with new incoming quality players (Fabinho and Keita already signed), and with a lot of talented young players knocking at the door. Exciting.

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Grujic is the one that bugs me. He's just turned 22 which is probably on that border where he should probably be pushing for a first team spot if not already there. I suspect he may not make it or maybe he would have been kept at the club rather than loaned out.

Possibly sell (not really needed but may have small squad role to play):

Karius
Clyne
Moreno
Grujic
Kent

Loan:

Woodburn
Ward (only if Karius stays and new no1 purchased)

Quite undecided on Ojo, Ejaria and Chirivella. I think another loan for them is pointless, and they should either be kept around the squad or sold if Klopp decides their not needed or unlikely to make the step up required.

No football club is successful without hard work.

Rhian Brewster is entering the final year of his scholarship deal. So far he's rejected the professional terms we've offered. The question of whether he stays or goes appears to be down to the player / his agent rather than for us to decide.

New Member

@ Zinedane Biscan
Possibly sell (not really needed but may have small squad role to play):

Karius
Clyne
Moreno
Grujic
Kent

I think Clyne is a must keep player and will have a role to play and is of good calibre as back up to TAA, and unless we bring in another left back Moreno as well, when he started last year he looked much improved.

"¿Plata... O Plomo?"

Rhian Brewster is entering the final year of his scholarship deal. So far he's rejected the professional terms we've offered. The question of whether he stays or goes appears to be down to the player / his agent rather than for us to decide.

As you said he was on my list of potential outs, and that was only because with TAA, Gomez and now Fabinho who is an excellent RB (he'd be first-choice there if we didn't need him in midfield primarily!) I wasn't sure if he was still needed. He's always been filed under solid but unspectacular, so don't feel strongly either way. It's more a case of if we need the funds or the squad place.

Yours for £1m. Need to make room for Dean Saunders

As you said he was on my list of potential outs, and that was only because with TAA, Gomez and now Fabinho who is an excellent RB (he'd be first-choice there if we didn't need him in midfield primarily!) I wasn't sure if he was still needed. He's always been filed under solid but unspectacular, so don't feel strongly either way. It's more a case of if we need the funds or the squad place.

Well-Known Member

Ok so decided best way to answer this is to review what we have/should have position by position see where there are holes and players not really required if those holes are filled. Can end up quite harsh this way but no matter how much a player can be a top guy if he's not needed he's not needed (looking with sad eyes at you Ings).

Keeper is very hard, I'm a firm believer that you need 3 options that don't look too ridiculous should they ever need using (remember Reina and Doni both being suspended and Jones having to play important games as an example, I'd say the depth was right then). But the stronger or weaker your first choice determines how strong you can get away with as second and third choice. Do you need reliable veterans, kids with potential or somebody good enough to start at a reasonable level? I think the harsh but true appraisal has been made that Karius doesn't have the mental strength and Mignolet is a terrible fit for our playing style and doesn't want to stay as a number 2. I think Karius will be best served by a clean slate somewhere else as it'll always hang over him should he stay. That forces us into the market for a starting keeper and it looks like we are going for a strong option. Working on the possibility that we get that strong option I think we could go for more of a development option in the other two roles and I'd have Ward and Grabara stay as 2nd and 3rd for next season.

All other players than I mention to keep should be sold (if 22 or over) or loaned out if still under contract (21 and under).

For outfield roles I really see the pitch splitting into 5 groups of 2. We should have 3 TOP TOP options for each of those 2 positions with a decent option or two backing them up (especially in attack where we make more subs) and a couple of emergency options from within the squad too.

"¿Plata... O Plomo?"

If there is no need to sell, I don't think we should be discarding players. We were thread bare at the final push of the season, why go through that again next season. If they are not looking to leave, keep them. They've been training with Klopp for 3 years now, knows exactly what needs to be done in their own spot. We need quality and able backups. Keep them I say, if they didn't ask for a move.

Well-Known Member

Keepers: only one I'd consider keeping is Karius as a back up to a new keeper. Alternatively, we could loan him out for a year or two to see how he does and hopefully increase his value, and sign a veteran as back up to the new keeper for a couple of years.

Defenders: I'd keep all nine first team squad defenders, mainly as some are injury prone so you need the extra head, and I doubt we'll have the money to upgrade any of them after we've sorted the midfield and attack. If we sign a young up and coming centre back we could release either Matip or Klavan.

Central midfield: I want to see 4231 more next season, so I see Hendo, Gini, Keita and Fabinho as the four options for the 2. Three of them can play 6, all of them 8.

Utility player: Milner

Attacking midfield: I'd keep Lallana as cover for a 10 such as Fekir, especially with Oxlade not likely to be fully fit until Xmas.

Forwards: It's crucial that we keep the front three and sign at least one similar level forward. If we don't sign two forwards I'd consider keeping Origi as a striker back up, together with Solanke.

Fighting like beavers.

One of the rare Liverpool summers where I don't think anyone is really close to leaving. If they do, it will be more up to us and we'll have the money to replace them. With Emre we already knew about it for two years now that we might lose him. You never know with someone like Salah (or better to say clubs with money and "crazy" ideas), but we should be safe this summer. Nice platform for Klopp to take this team to another level.

Yours for £1m. Need to make room for Dean Saunders

If there is no need to sell, I don't think we should be discarding players. We were thread bare at the final push of the season, why go through that again next season. If they are not looking to leave, keep them. They've been training with Klopp for 3 years now, knows exactly what needs to be done in their own spot. We need quality and able backups. Keep them I say, if they didn't ask for a move.

Thing is, your list would involve keeping the likes of Marko, Bogdan and Flanagan, all contracted to summer 2019.

I agree with the principle of don't sell unless we really have no need of a player, but I don't think anyone on my list of definite sales/departures was contentious. The potential sales list was, but that was the point really.

Yours for £1m. Need to make room for Dean Saunders

Thing is, your list would involve keeping the likes of Marko, Bogdan and Flanagan, all contracted to summer 2019.

I agree with the principle of don't sell unless we really have no need of a player, but I don't think anyone on my list of definite sales/departures was contentious. The potential sales list was, but that was the point really.